SANTA ANA - A California appeals court has upheld the conviction of a drunken driver who killed Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people in an Orange County crash 3 years ago.

The 4th District Court of Appeal ruled Monday that Andrew Thomas Gallo of San Gabriel was properly convicted of second-degree murder, DUI and hit-and-run. He's serving a 51-years-to-life sentence. Gallo was convicted Sept. 27, 2010, of three counts of second-degree murder, DUI and hit-and-run.

Gallo was on parole for a felony DUI conviction when he blew through a red light at 65 mph in April 2009 in Fullerton. He T-boned a car carrying Adenhart and three friends.

Prosecutors say Gallo had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.

In his appeal, Gallo claimed that the trial judge was biased against the defense but the appellate court rejected that contention.

Adenhart, 22, his girlfriend Courtney Frances Stewart, 20, and his friend Henry Pearson, 25, died in the April 9, 2009, crash.

A Manhattan Beach man, Jon Wilhite, 24, survived the crash, but had to have his skull reattached to his spine.